If I were a rich man….

This is a shortened and edited chapter from the book I’ve been working on for the past twenty-five years. I think it speaks for a lot of us.

Just as Tevya, the father from the Fiddler on the Roof musical, sang about what it must be like to be rich, I too, have dreamed those dreams. If money was no object, I would book multiple guided hunts in the remotest parts of Alaska with the best available guides for moose, caribou, sheep, goats, or bear. I might also consider a self-guided hunt where I chartered out on an airplane and floated some remote river or hunted some pristine wilderness area.

However, these are just dreams. I am not rich and spending thousands or tens of thousands of dollars to hunt in my home state is just not a realistic possibility. In fact, with today's economic times, the less I spend to go hunting the better.

So, what exactly are my options for big game hunting without spending a small fortune? First, hunt locally. That minimizes the cost of getting to the hunting grounds. Second, use equipment you already own or can borrow. A "moose buggy" or ATV can take you into some amazingly remote areas. A riverboat can do the same. If you don't own any of these items, perhaps you can join a friend who does. Another set of hands while gutting a moose is a definite asset!

If all else fails and your friends are as poorly equipped as you, there's always the infamous "road hunting!" For those unfamiliar with this style of hunting, it involves slowly driving the back roads through unpopulated areas while keeping an eye out for a legal animal, usually a moose. I have tried this technique but, to date, have been unsuccessful using it. However, I do know of a few folks that regularly use this hunting method and have a good success record over the years. And, of course, you can always walk into your chosen hunting location.

Okay, so where can you hunt locally? The Mat-Su Borough is the same size as the state of West Virginia but with a growing population of around 100,000 folks. You should be able to find a few places which will fit your hunting needs. If you study some maps and talk with various people like fuel delivery drivers, mail carriers, wildlife enforcement troopers or others who routinely are out along the road system, you will get a hint about where to go. Fish and Game does not make specific recommendations, but they will tell you about general areas and access routes.

If you decide to leave the road system and travel via ATV, research the trail systems available and where they go. The borough has been developing a list of existing trails and would be a useful source of information. The Department of Natural Resources is another valuable information source. They operate facilities in the Hatcher Pass area. There are a few books available describing local ATV trails and rating them as to difficulty in traversing. One such book is by James Riley and Ted Schachle and titled Alaska Wilderness Trails. There are seismic lines running in several parts of the Mat-Su which provide access to some remote places. Some of the dog musher trails might be available and places like the Knik Public Use Area are specifically managed for multiple uses of the existing trails.

If you have a friend who baits black bears, you might be able to access that general area to hunt moose. Another source of information for access into hunting areas is the local electric company. While utility easements are not public access routes, the company may be willing to discuss accessing some of the more remote areas where their lines run.

If you have access to a riverboat, a lot of the borough previously inaccessible to you is now open to your hunting endeavors. You can either go to a specific area along a particular river, or you can drift with the current, watching for a legal moose, a wet version of road hunting. Several folks I know will haul a camp out in their boats and base out of the camp, moving to various locations along the river to investigate potential hotspots.

So, what if a riverboat is not part of your life? Folks regularly have success drifting rivers like the Little Susitna in a canoe looking for moose. An inflatable raft also works well for these kinds of trips. Just make sure to bring your PFD, a patch kit for the raft, and plan so that you can get picked up after the trip.

We all dream of that remote wilderness guided hunt, but the freezer can still be filled by hunting locally with existing equipment and using a little imagination. See you out on the trail!